Thread: Shaving with Japanese razor

You should be able to shave with it, both sides, without a problem.
The only thing you should take into account (as indicated by seraphims most excallent drawing) is that you need to adjust the shaving angle to compensate for the fact that the blade is not symmetrical.

It always strikes me that the Japanese razor was designed to be used by a barber and not designed for self use. But you live and learn.

Originally Posted by English

It always strikes me that the Japanese razor was designed to be used by a barber and not designed for self use. But you live and learn.

you see, I think the same thing...Not that it can't be used for self shaving, but it was almost certainly designed for barber use.

Originally Posted by English

It always strikes me that the Japanese razor was designed to be used by a barber and not designed for self use. But you live and learn.

I think that hits the nailhead pretty well.

Well, here we go again.

If you look at the profile picture in this thread you will notice the edge is canted towards the concave side of the razor. Now, why would you want to shave with a blade that is bent away from your face? Seems kind of crazy to me. If you picked up a typical western straight and one edge was canted to one side would we be having this discussion?

yes you certainly can shave with both sides just the same as you can drive your car around town in 2nd gear all day or use your expensive screwdriver set to pry things up with. personally I find shaving with the convex side to be very uncomfortable. What makes these razors so great at what they do is the asymmetrical edge- read one sided for all practical purposes.

Oh yes the original post. No tips really it just takes lots of practice and you need to be able to use both of your hands for shaving if you do it the proper way. The same principles with stretching and all that just that you need to develop the proper way to hold and manipulate the razor so as to shave your entire face. Also because oof the short blade and double spike you can nick yourself very easily.

I have a question: What is there to shaving another, as barbers did/sometimes still do, that precludes the use of both sides of the standard straight?

I am 99.9 % sure that your barber will use both sides of the razor to give a shave.

When I use a w-k (japanese razor) I only need one hand. The right hand, being right handed as I am. This does create some problems figuring out a way to grip, which results in reversing the direction the handle points, rather than simply flipping the razor to its opposite face.

Perhaps you guys have some things which work well one day, but not so well the next. That seems to happen often when learning how to hone, strop and shave a straight razor. (it does to me at least) That's what I find when using both faces of the w-k.

Usually I have a few spots when I just don't feel like i have a secure hold of the razor when reversed and I'll just turn it so the ura is against my face to get those bits, because it's quicker and easier, and it goes just fine. I have, a few times, shaved it just as I would with a regular straight with very little discernable difference other than angle- i don't know why.

I just go one of these and I was determined to learn how to use it with the concave side of the blade to my face. My first time out I found that when going up the side burn area it was easy on one side but impossible on the other. My ear got in the way of the handle on one side. Eventualy I stopped trying and went with the wedge side and adjusted the angle of attack accordingly. If I was only going to go XTG this would not be an issue.

This is probably my favorite razor because of its comfortable shave, smoothness, and nonirritation qualities.

Originally Posted by CraigJ

I just go one of these and I was determined to learn how to use it with the concave side of the blade to my face. My first time out I found that when going up the side burn area it was easy on one side but impossible on the other. My ear got in the way of the handle on one side. Eventualy I stopped trying and went with the wedge side and adjusted the angle of attack accordingly. If I was only going to go XTG this would not be an issue.

This is probably my favorite razor because of its comfortable shave, smoothness, and nonirritation qualities.

This is why I think that even if someone else is to shave you, they still are going to have to flip it, aren't they?

Or you could do what I did, and have one custom made, with a symmetrical grind.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...-straight.html

Originally Posted by Bruno

Or you could do what I did, and have one custom made, with a symmetrical grind.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...-straight.html

That is a cool one Bruno. I was really intrigued by this one which is sorta the opposite. A western style wa-kamisori